Chronic diseases are no joke — time to pay attention

In medicine, long-term and usually slow-progressing conditions are called chronic diseases. There is no consensus about the period after which a disease becomes chronic; but on average, any disease that lasts more than six months can be considered chronic.

Chronic diseases are not distributed randomly but are seen more frequently in certain people, families, and communities, as a result of various environmental factors that interact with a vulnerable genetic profile. Key determinants are the lack of formal education, the loss of social and personal expectations, and the habits of life harmful to health.

In this way, it is established as a growing threat. In fact, it is expected that deaths due to the set of infectious diseases, maternal and perinatal diseases and nutritional deficiencies will decrease by 3% over the next 10 years and that deaths from chronic diseases will increase by 17% in the same period.

It is time to give importance and pay attention

Chronic diseases are not a joke, it’s time to pay attention. Likewise, the growing volume of chronic diseases has the potential to paralyze the entire medical care system and, in addition, the entire economic system.

An important fact to mention is that these diseases are usually preventable and, often, manageable through early detection, improvement of diet, exercise and treatment therapy.

According to statistics, 6 out of 10 adults in the United States have a chronic disease. In addition, 4 out of 10 adults in the United States, they have two or more chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases are of care, they must be paid attention and importance, they are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the United States, killing more than 1.7 million Americans each year.

On the other hand, chronic diseases represent 81% of hospital admissions; 91% of all recipes filled; and 76% of all medical visits.